Love is in the air. Former Dexter’s actress Julie Benz recently got engaged to her boyfriend, Rich Orosco. Well you can’t say a no when you are popped the question with a stunning $80K rock and Mariachi band.

"The proposal was simple and beautiful -- and then I was shocked by the pop-up surprise Mexican fiesta engagement party," Benz said. "What girl doesn't want to be serenaded by a Mariachi band surrounded by close friends and family?"

Benz’s engagement ring had a stunning cushion cut diamond, which was brilliantly complemented with pave diamond border set in handmade platinum band. The milgrain detailing in the ring gives the ring a very vintage look.

Now this is called doing it big. Grammy winner rapper Kayne West was reportedly wearing jewelry worth approximately $300,000.

The rapper fashioned multiple gold pieces, custom made by Jacob & Co. The gold chain with Egyptian God Horus as well as the four finger pyramid ring are made in 24k Yellow Gold.

Yeezy posted on his blog explaining the Egyptian symbols. Horus, he said is one of the oldest and most magnificent deities worshipped in Ancient Egypt. He was worshipped as the God of Sky, God of War and the God of Protection.

It has been almost two months that Will and Kate got married, but we never seem to get enough of them. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were attending a ceremony held to honor the Irish guards in London on Armed Forces Day.

Like always, this time too Kate was dressed perfectly for the occasion. She wore a classic blue coat with matching shoes and a fancy hat. There was a very subtle touch of jewelry with her much talked about diamond sapphire engagement ring and dangling gemstone earrings.

This was the first event of Prince William as the Colonel-in-Chief of Irish guards, an honor that he received this February.

The newly wed couple took time to personally speak with all of the 60 members. In his speech Prince William said, "I am proud to be your Colonel. I am humbled by the thought of the sacrifices that you and your families have made and the losses that you suffered, all in the service of our country."

Summer is here and it is time for beaches, weddings, parties and more parties. Talk about parties and we women are thinking in our brains of what are we going to wear. Jewelry, as it goes without saying is an essential part of worry and our wardrobe.

Less is more

Don’t pile on too many pieces of jewelry. Less is more this summer. Wear jewelry to complement what you wear but don’t let your jewelry overpower your clothes.

Colors

In an interview with AGTA (American Gemstone Trade Association), Leatrice Elseman, popularly referred to as ‘International color guru’ has suggested Green as an essential shade for the summers. She said that green has become somewhat of a neutral so are likely to wear it with a lot of things in your wardrobe. Seems it is peridots and emeralds are the gemstones for the season.

Another color riding high this summer is blue. So open yourself up to the world of blue and keep it cool. Sapphires, aquamarines, tanzanites, topaz, tourmaline, the list is countless.

Be Yourself

Whatever I have said, if it doesn’t appeal to your, forget it. Jewelry is foremost an expression of your self. So be yourself. Experiment with the looks. Mix and match with various style coz its all about having fun.

While I was searching for my previous post Have fun with June Birthstone, Pearls; I found out something very interesting. Most of the women that you could call as endorsed pearls were all strong women, public figures, roles models for many and all of them were considered as a fashion icon of their times.

Here are 5 Celebrated Women who swore by their pearls .

1. Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II often seen adorning strands of pearl when making public appearances. Her love for pearls can also be said to have inherited from her mother Queen Elizabeth I who was known for her extravagant taste and her vast collection of pearl jewelry.

2. Coco Chanel

Famous French designer, one who bought radical changes in imitation jewelry, Coco Channel was known as a fashion icon in her times. She would often experiment with pearls. They say she would put in a rope of fake pearls between real one and wear them and no one would ever know that they are fake.

3. Princess Diana

Princess Diana was regarded as the most stylish woman of her times. Her jewelry and her dresses were talked about world over. She possessed a fine collection of jewelry of which pearls were an eminent part. This seven-strand pearl choker necklace with sapphire at center was made out of a brooch that Queen Elizabeth II gifted her on her wedding.

4. Elizabeth Taylor

A fine actress of her times, Elizabeth Taylor was known to have one of the finest collect of jewels. She even possessed ‘La Peregrina’ (picture above), largest pear shaped natural pearl.

5. Michelle Obama

First Lady, Michelle Obama is the new age icon of fashion who is very often seen sporting strands of pearl in her public appearances and to some extent responsible for bringing pearls back in fashion.

When you are buying a jewelry with colored gemstones, it is very important that you know if the stone is natural or synthetic. While the synthetic stone look good and are genuine too, they are not natural and hence they cost much less.

2. Is the color natural or enhanced?

Many gemstones that we find in the market are given various kinds of treatments to enhance their color. Lot of them are permanent colors, while some are are only temporary and they tend to fade away with time.

3. What do the names mean?

Be careful of the misleading names. A lot of times gemstones are not what their names suggest. Such as Brazilian Sapphire is actually blue tourmaline, Bohemian rubies are garnets, Rangoon diamonds are zircons. So, whenever a stone is described with a qualifier, it is important that you find out if the stone is genuine or not.

4. Do you like the color?

First, you need to learn how to critically look at the color. Which color is that particular gemstone is considered the best. But then at the end of the day, what matters is the color that you like. You might like the not so rare color which might not even cost as much as the rarest one.

5. How good is the clarity of the stone?

Colored gemstone often come with inclusions. Inclusions are like fingerprints of nature inside the crystal structure of a gem. However, too many inclusions can affect the color of the gemstone. Sometimes inclusions can even reduce the durability of the gem.

I made this dress back in February and there was still snow on the ground when I first took pictures of it. I've been meaning to showcase it in a more appropriate environment and finally had the chance to do so during my trip to Vegas two weeks ago. I had the most wonderful time celebrating my birthday, enjoying the warm weather and the stunning views from the suite. More pics to follow soon..

Birthstone jewelry is becoming very popular these days. However, pearls and June have a special significance.

June is the classic wedding month. They say a June bride is a bride for all her life and the one who wears pearls remains happily married forever.

Pearls are super stylish and sophisticated. Pair them up with every ensemble and here you are all set to stun the world. It is hard to describe the charm of these stunning organic gems that are born inside the body of a mollusk.

Dressing up for a special evening or for a casual outing – add a strand of pearl necklace to your dress and you can have the look that you want.

Pearls are like those white shirts, denims or black dress in your wardrobe. They are like life savers, whenever you are in doubt, put them on and they will never let you down.

Now here is something one doesn’t get to hear about often. Jay Leno had an interesting experiment with Kim Kardashian’s ring. Kim’s 20.5 carat diamond engagement ring has been all over in news and since lot of people couldn’t digest the hugeness of the rock they started calling it faux.

Finally, to put an end to all such stories, Jay Leno in ‘The Tonight Show’ put her engagement ring on a fire test. Kim even asked Jay to sign a contract that he would pay the insurance if something happens to the ring. And he convinced her that if the diamonds are real, nothing would happen to the ring. However, if they are fake or CZ, they would catch fire immediately.

Soon after the show Kim tweeted ,”OMG u will NOT believe what Jay Leno did to my ring tonight on the show!!!! I almost cried! LOL.”